Hargreaves has played less than ten minutes' football for Manchester United since September 2008 having had surgery on his knee problems on two occasions before tearing his hamstring on his brief comeback against Wolves in November.

He had made his return to training with the reserves earlier this month and there had been hope that he could feature again this season after he was named in the 25-man Premier League squad at the end of the January transfer window.

However, the 30-year-old has sustained yet another injury and the Daily Mail reports X-rays show he may have ligament damage that could rule him out for another month.

Hargreaves - a £17 million signing from Bayern Munich in May 2007 - is out of contract in June.